Kate Middleton wears 'vintage'?

By
Katherine Boyle

Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the naming ceremony and service dedication for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's new Atlantic 85 Lifeboat on Feb. 24. (Reuters

Let's call it "The Princess and the Pea Coat," shall we? We can't be certain, and Clarence House certainly won't comment, but it appears Catherine Middleton is the thriftiest princess-to-be in the history of over-exposed, princesses-to-be.

Or her taste in coats hasn't changed in almost five years.

Today, Prince William and Kate Middleton made an official public appearance in Wales to dedicate a lifeboat. But a quick comparison of Kate's ensemble -- a champagne coat with black cuffs and pockets -- and a coat she wore in 2006, shows she's making a classic fashion statement for the second time; it appears she's wearing "vintage" Kate Middleton, donning a coat she sported many seasons ago.

Middleton in 2006. (Getty)

Although remarkably similar, the coats are two different lengths.

Could it be that Kate is hemming old coats to change her look? Is she really wearing the exact same coat at different lengths five years later? Or, perhaps, she owns two versions of the same coat in different lengths?

The cuffs. The lines. The color. The pockets. Could it be the royal style icon is thriftier than we thought? Please tell us she hems her old coats herself.

We assumed she had multiple pairs of her signature suede black boots, but she might just have them resoled when necessary. Maybe Kate is really as down to earth as we want her to be.

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